Those young, purple artichokes are such a treat but preparing them is, quite frankly, a sod. Large globe artichokes are far more amenable, proving greater square footage for the effort of trimming them and removing the choke. I stumbled upon this way of preparing them on the barbecue. The slightly blackened but tender artichokes work so well with a simple dressing and a handful of toasted almonds.

Makes enough for up to 10 with the salads, in place of the lamb

Prep 30 minutes; Cook 20–25 minutes

For the dressing:

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 tbsp good balsamic vinegar

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

175ml extra virgin olive oil

For the artichokes:

10 globe artichokes

10 bay leaves

100g flaked almonds, toasted

handful of parsley, chopped

Start by whisking the garlic, balsamic vinegar, mustard and olive oil together. This can be done a few days in advance and kept chilled.

Cut the top third from each artichoke, just enough so you can dig down with a teaspoon and pull out the hairy choke from the centre. With a small paring knife, pare away the tough outside of the stalk and any tough leaves at the bottom. Stick a bay leaf into the centre.

Make sure the barbecue coals are white hot, with no trace of flame.

Wrap each artichoke tightly in foil and barbecue over indirect heat for 20–25 minutes. Once unwrapped, the artichokes should be tender and slightly charred at the edges.

Serve warm or cool, with a generous amount of dressing spooned over – concentrating on the centres – and the almonds and parsley scattered on top. The tops of the leaves will not be edible (the bases are) and need to be pulled away from the artichoke to eat, so provide a few fingerbowls with lemon slices.